The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-17
THE PoMAks1
A Curious and InteresH' People
WHO pwelI in Eastern( }. meIin.
People

The Paris Temps gives an interest
ing description of the Pomaks, or Mus.
sulman inhabitants of the territories CT
Rouftchos and Kirdjali, IN Eastern
Roumelia which reverted to Turkey in
accordance with the arrangement come
to on the lst of February last between
the sublime porte and the Bulgarian
government. The territories of Rouft-
chos and Kirdjali are both Of them in
the south of Roumelia; the former be-
ing in the upper valleys of the Rhodope
mountain, while the latter, which lies
more TO the east, and is by far the
more important of the two, is situated
between the river Arda, which forms
the southern boundary of Roumclia,
Hissardik-Dagh, which are part of the
Rodope chain Tie district of Rouft-
chos contains Ga villages with n popu-
lation of about twelve thousand the
principal of them being Dele Xiii, Bala-
ban, Hirsova, and Nostankcuy. The
district Of Kirdjali comprises 1888 villa
ges, with about twenty-five thousand
inhab tants, the principal of which are
Kirdiali, Karamanti, Mersiler Karagu-
enchler, and Hassanbabalar. There is,
however, dispute us to whether TWEEN
ty-four of these villages should belong
10 Turkey or Bulgaria, and they arc in
the meanwhile held by the latter The
inhabitants of these two districts are
all Mussulman Pomaks; these Pomaks
being descendants of the Bulgarans,
who like the Servian Begs, the Alban-
ian Arnauts, and Greek Vanalades,
embraced the Mohammedan faith at
the same time of the Ottoman conquest
or soon after in order to retain possess
sion of their lands. These Pomaks,
though living in nearly savage
state, are for the most part OF
n very peaceable disposition. Confined
to their mountains, they live mainly by
agriculture and by the manufacture of
charcoal from the forests which cover
the sides of the mountains. The Po-
maks furnish the best arabadjis, or wag-
orners, and the transport of goods be-
tween Macedonia and Roumelia is en-
tirely in their hands The Pomaks of
Kirdjali are much better oifthan those of
RouftchoS, as their territory is extraor-
dinarly fertile, and, being irrigated by
various streams, the valleys and noun
tains slopes produce an endless variety
of fruits. Grapes grow in abundance,
and these are dried as raisins, for the
Pomaks do not drink wine. Peaches.
apricots, pears, apples. and nuts are
very plentiful, and the quality of the
tobacco grown in this district is very
good. The Pomaks have preserved
some very curious religious practices
and superstitions, and, though they be-
long to the Mohammedan faith, they
look upon the Bulgarian priests as ma
gicans possessing great power. When
i'll they always go to them for advice,
and do not hesitate to recte the prayers
to the Virgin which the priests instruct
them 10 offer. When there is severe
drought they take maiden from one
of the villages, cover her with palms,
and pour water over her, chanting in,
Bulgarian appeals to the clemency Of
the divinities in whom their ancestors
believed the companions in arms of
Asparuk, Kroum, and Boris. The Rouft-
chos Pomaks have never paid any tax
es either TO the Ottoman or to the Bull.
garian authorities; and if a taX-colectJ
ga ever applied TO them for payment
they politely requested him to return to
the place whence he came, while in the
event of his refusing they shot him.
Two collectors and posse of Roume-
liam gendarmes were killed in this way;
so that will perhaps explain the readi-
ness of the Bulgarians to make over
these districts to Turkey after the Servo
Bulgarian war last winter.